Entries in Ohio
(155)

Adam P. Moellers, 35, of Mason, Ohio, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, and Gary P. Dailey, aka Gary Klump, 33, of Covington, Kentucky, was sentenced to 21 months in prison in U.S. District Court today for engaging in a foreclosure rescue scheme through a company called American Equity Group (AEG). A third defendant, Perry Bensick, 37, of Monroe, Ohio, was sentenced on May 21 for his role in the scheme to a year and a day in prison. Each will be placed under court supervision for three years after their prison terms end.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Kevin Cornelius; Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Field Division (FBI), announced the sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett.

An Akron man was sentenced to more than three years in prison and ordered to pay more than $15 million in restitution for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme in Florida and a separate scheme to defraud two elderly investors, said [press release] Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Andrew D. Norman, 36, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return.

Norman and his business partner Jason Herceg conspired with Jack Coppenger in procuring “straw buyers” and submitting false loan documents to banks to purchase Coppenger’s lots in Florida (which had already been inflated in value as part of a land flip) in a mortgage fraud scheme. Coppenger, with assistance from Norman and Herceg, perpetrated a large mortgage fraud scheme involving numerous straw buyers, who essentially sold their good credit score to Coppenger, in order for him to secure loans, through straw buyers’ names, for property in Florida, according to court documents.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced [Press Release] a lawsuit against N.M.M.S.R. Incorporated, doing business as Making Home Affordable USA, and its owner Jason Keating of Maumee. The Lawsuit charges Keating and his business with multiple violations of Ohio’s consumer laws.

“Too many consumers have lost thousands of dollars, or even their homes, because of loan modification services that did nothing to help them,” DeWine said. “We are continuing to target foreclosure relief businesses that mislead consumers, and we will continue to take action when we find them.”

Making Home Affordable USA is located at 120 10th Street in Toledo. It offers loan modification and foreclosure assistance services through its “National Mortgage Modification Stimulus Home Saver Program.” Although the business’ name and website closely resemble that of the federal government’s Making Home Affordable program, Making Home Affordable USA is not associated with the federal government.

In the following press release Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters announced today the indictment of a disbarred attorney who allegedly stole more than $400,000 from an 83-year-old woman from Morrow, Ohio. William G. Goetz, of Cincinnati, was indicted Tuesday by a Hamilton County grand jury on two counts of Theft from the Elderly, two counts of Money Laundering, and one count of Tampering with Records. If convicted, Goetz faces a maximum of 31 years in prison.

“Prosecutor Deters and I both believe that we need to prosecute those who prey on the elderly,” said Attorney General DeWine. “The amount of money that this man allegedly stole from the victim is staggering.”

Cameron Green, 36, of Pickerington, Ohio was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,115,965 in restitution, jointly and severally with Jason Simcox and Kevin Simcox, to the victim mortgage lenders for fraudulently obtaining approximately $15,037,421 in mortgage loans to finance the purchase of 26 real estate properties in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Darryl Williams, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS) announced the sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.

On January 9, 2013 Jason Simcox, 39, of Pickerington, Ohio was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge George C. Smith to 12 months and one day in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $6,115,965 in restitution, jointly and severally with Cameron Green and Kevin Simcox, to the victim mortgage lenders.

According to court documents, between August 2006 and May 2007, the two men applied for loans using false income, assets, and occupancy statements on the loan applications. The mortgage loans were inflated to allow Simcox and Green to use the excess mortgage proceeds to generate cash kickbacks payable to co-conspirators that were undisclosed to the mortgage lenders. The co-conspirators then provided the money to Simcox and Green via interstate wire transfers.

A federal grand jury here has indicted Regina Shields, 40, of Cincinnati, Ohio charging her with scheming to file false claims for federal income tax refunds with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as well as wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a mortgage fraud.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Darryl Williams, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the indictment unsealed today following her arrest.

The indictment charges Shields with four counts of filing false claims for federal income tax refunds with the IRS, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. In addition, the indictment contains two forfeiture allegations, one of which calls for the forfeiture of $141,491 relative to the wire fraud that was charged in this case.

Gordon L. Yocom, 44, of Dublin, Ohio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for fraudulently obtaining a mortgage loan to finance the purchase of a real estate property in Powell, Ohio. Yocom agreed to forfeit $119,000, which represented the proceeds of this transaction.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Darryl Williams, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS), and Edward J. Hanko, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced Yocom’s plea which was entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael Watson.

According to court documents, Yocom owned and operated a mortgage brokerage business called Gordon Lending. Yocom and an employee of his, Nancy Rayfus, worked to arrange for a buyer to purchase a property located at 10577 Durham Place in Powell, Ohio. The buyer was from California, but it was Rayfus’ intent to reside at the property. The purchase contract was negotiated so Rayfus could obtain substantial cash payments at closing through the submission of two false invoices. Yocom knowingly provided funds to Rayfus in the amount of $123,500 for the purpose of funding the majority of the down payment for the purchase this property. Yocom purchased two official checks out of accounts that he controlled. The checks were made payable to Landsel Title. Yocom disguised the fact that he was the one providing the funds by having the bank place a variation of purchaser’s name as the remitter on each of the checks.

Steven R. Hinz pleaded guilty today to tax fraud and mortgage fraud charges in Cleveland federal court, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced [Press Release]. Hinz’s guilty pleas followed recent guilty pleas of three other defendants—Heather L. English, Patricia A. Polk, and William E. Phillips, III—who were charged in indictment in December 2011 on a tax conspiracy and various false return charges. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan, who scheduled the sentencing for January 2013.

The information reproduced here has been obtained from various public sources and has been compiled as a service to those interested in the area of mortgage fraud. The accuracy of the information has not been independently verified and as a result, no negative inferences about individuals referenced in the information or their involvement in any scheme to participate in mortgage fraud should be concluded as a result.